Episode Overview

Podcast: The Art of the Brand
Episode Title: Why Luxury Brands Are Dying (and What Founders Can Learn)
Date: September 5, 2025
Hosts: Camille Moore and Phillip Millar

In this brisk, insight-rich episode, branding experts Camille Moore and Phillip Millar dissect why many traditional luxury brands—think Louis Vuitton and Cartier—are losing their luster, and what entrepreneurs and founders can learn (and avoid) from their struggles. The conversation ranges from luxury brand strategies, the perils of "democratizing" exclusivity, to the practical mechanics of storytelling and why authenticity (quirks, struggles, and all) trumps glossy perfection in today’s dynamic brandscape. Special attention is paid to the rise of male luxury accessories and Abercrombie’s clever NFL move.

Key Discussion Points

1. The End of Traditional Luxury? (00:00–10:55)

Louis Vuitton’s Beauty Line & Gateway Pricing

• Context: Louis Vuitton follows other luxury fashion houses by launching a beauty line (lipstick at $169, eyeshadow at $265), aiming to monetize the "treat economy" during a luxury downturn.
• Phillip's Take: He’s skeptical—this is a classic "revenue strategy" to appease shareholders, not a real "brand strategy."
  • “Louis Vuitton is just becoming Nike.” (00:09)
  • “If the strategy is just to sell more product, that's not a strategy, that's a goal.” (02:58)
• Camille's Perspective: Social media has reshaped notions of luxury, making high-end brands more accessible but less exclusive.
  • “Luxury branding has been democratized...you should have something this nice no matter where you are on the economic totem pole.” (03:50)
  • Argues for the "souvenir effect": High-priced but entry-level luxury products keep the brand universe desirable even for aspirational buyers.
• Debate: Phillip argues that this erodes brand equity (“Selling trinkets makes the brand start to mean less.” 10:49), while Camille counters it invites more people into lasting brand relationships (“People want to leave with a souvenir. And it allows people to leave that Louis Vuitton brand universe. It keeps that brand feeling, that brand desire alive...” 09:53).
• Memorable Quote:
  • Camille: “Look, I really ripped them, right, like, for being in malls in like, middle America and how the brand has changed. But what I've realized in all of this is the brand means a lot to people who are coming up into wealth. And Louis Vuitton isn't focused on impressing you anymore.” (10:55)

2. What Luxury Means Now: Scarcity, Class, and Brand Religion (04:08–12:30)

• The new landscape: Social media and mass transportation ended luxury's scarcity. Previously, exclusivity was partly physical—hard-to-get items in select global cities.
• Brand as Religion vs. Cult:
  • Phillip stakes out that Louis Vuitton has fallen from 'religion' status to 'cult that's dying', warning businesses not to equate shareholder-pleasing moves with sound brand strategy. (10:17)
• The "Creator Reviewing Economy": Novelty items like Louis Vuitton chocolates become viral content for influencers, making brand exposure an operating goal—even at the potential risk of long-term dilution.
  • “That is an interesting strategy because...there's a bunch of influencers that want to make content that seems kind of interesting. People will watch a review of Louis Vuitton chocolate.” (12:09, Phillip)

3. Storytelling in Branding: Lip Service vs. Real Risk (13:19–19:39)

Why Most Brands and Socials Suck

• Phillip: Too many brands confuse storytelling with empty positivity—creating a “fake positive” narrative rather than an arc with real obstacles and triumphs. (14:15)
  • “Stories are based on kind of skepticism. There’s a path that's anticipated to be hopeful and then...the hero gets to it and experiences an obstacle and then you want to see them struggle through it.”
• Camille: Brands (and films) are missing the point: “Your socials aren't working because you're not communicating to the story arc of your customer...the customer is the hero, you are the guide.” (13:40)
• Key Techniques:
  • Offer value and vulnerability; don’t just sell, lead followers through your own authentic struggles and lessons.
  • “Controversy exists on a spectrum, and you have to at least be prepared to be on the...most basic end of that spectrum, which is at least saying something interesting, like talking about your business struggling is controversial to most people, and they don't even want to share what they've struggled through.” (17:22, Camille)
• Memorable Advice:
  • Phillip: “People want to judge you and they'll follow you based on how they judge you and how you're dealing with things. Because the mark of character is how we make decisions in times of crisis.” (18:02)
• Practical Example: Instead of posting a perfect coffee shop, show the messy build-out, the first empty weeks, and the path to improvement.

4. Burnout, Delegation, and the Reality of Scale (20:42–25:15)

Leadership Anecdotes and Work-Life Balance

• Phillip’s Leadership Story: Shares a formative experience in military officer training of burning out by not sharing the load—“I kept pushing through the water...when we got out of the water, what I realized is...I was dead and I couldn't finish the race...entirely because I couldn't...share the load.” (21:00-23:04)
• Lesson for Founders: If you try to do everything alone—especially in scaling or social—you risk burnout and missed growth.
• Camille: Pushes listeners to be honest about what they want: more scale means more sacrifice, and founders must align their ambitions with what they’re willing (or not) to trade off.

5. Brand Comebacks & New Moves: Abercrombie’s NFL Pivot (25:18–29:18)

• Abercrombie & the NFL: Once a struggling, confused legacy brand, Abercrombie is reborn by signing as the NFL’s first-ever official fashion partner—focusing not on the league but on key players and lifestyle segments (especially the rising proportion of female fans). (25:17–27:51)
  • “Abercrombie is going back to its roots...being disruptive by doing things that haven't been done before in a way that connects to its brand.” (28:40, Camille)
  • Contrasted with luxury brands that partner with individual athletes (e.g., Cartier with Joe Burrow) to sell male accessories—a rapidly growing luxury segment.

6. The Boom in Male Luxury & Changing Norms (29:24–33:41)

• Male accessories and luxury apparel are exploding:
  • “Male accessories is the fastest growing luxury category in market.” (29:24, Camille)
  • Men’s spend shifting from suits to workleisure and accessories; brands like Cartier, Bottega, and Van Cleef targeting sports personalities.
• Phillip: Sees this as a sign of cultural vanity shifts (“We are on the arc of males moving more into vanity, as you saw in the 17th century when they were wearing their stock.” 29:58), and questions what differentiated luxury if production is increasingly automated.
• Camille: Predicts a similar move back to luxury staples for women, away from athleisure, mirroring men’s current trends.

Notable Quotes and Moments

• “Louis Vuitton is at the end of its luxury brand. Louis Vuitton is just becoming Nike.” – Phillip (00:09, 06:50)
• “Marketing and storytelling is a great thing for us to retouch on because it’s what most business owners get wrong.” – Camille (13:40)
• “[Storytelling] is sales masquerading as a story. It's not interesting.” – Phillip (16:11)
• “The word controversy exists on a spectrum...talking about your business struggling is controversial and they don't even want to share what they've struggled through. If you're not, then you're not in the game.” – Camille (17:22)
• “I was dead and I couldn't finish the race...because I just powered through...and didn’t share the load. I never forgot that message.” – Phillip, recounting military officer training (22:51)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–03:49 | Louis Vuitton’s new beauty line & price points
• 03:49–06:50 | Camille and Phillip debate luxury’s changing role
• 06:50–10:55 | Brand equity, democratization, and souvenir culture
• 12:09–12:30 | The 'creator review' strategy explained
• 13:19–19:39 | Fixing storytelling and social media for brands
• 21:00–23:05 | Phillip’s leadership burnout anecdote
• 25:18–29:18 | Abercrombie/NFL partnership & brand rebirth
• 29:24–33:41 | The rise of male luxury & shifting dress codes

Practical Takeaways for Founders

• Never confuse revenue tactics with brand strategy—especially when those tactics dilute long-term value.
• Story is everything—but only if it contains real conflict, vulnerability, and resolution, with the customer at the center.
• The best brand moves tap into new behavior segments, not just by copying trends but by reconnecting to the brand’s origins in a novel way.
• Founders: Be honest about your growth goals, what you’re willing to sacrifice, and when to ask for help or delegate to avoid burnout.
• Watch the crossover between sports/influencer partnerships and luxury accessory growth—this is where aspirational purchases are shifting.

Episode Tone

Lively, expert, constructive—sometimes blunt, but always with a view toward practical lessons. The hosts disagree vigorously, tease apart industry platitudes, and focus persistently on what actually works for real-world business owners.